Disclaimer: OTH and its characters do not belong to me. Neither does the song quoted in this chapter. Its 'Iris' by The Goo Goo Dolls.

Please take the time to let me know what you think. This story will contain multiple flashbacks which will be in italics! Xx

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This Wasn't Supposed to Happen

Chapter Ten – Iris

2 Weeks Later

Nathan Scott sat with his baby son in his arms. He rocked forward and back, soothing the little boy, calming his restlessness.

"Come on wee one" he whispered as Tyler fought the weight which attempted to capture his eyelids. Looking up at his dad, the beginnings of the infamous Scott smirk swept across his face. Nathan laughed loudly.

"Oh it's like that is it?" Nathan mirrored the smirk with one of his own. "That smirk will work with your mum, but not with me. I trademarked it." Tyler looked up at Nathan, reaching out at his face. Nathan closed his eyes as he felt his son's touch, his soft fingers tracing the features of Nathan's face.

Nathan took a deep breath as he opened his eyes, beginning to rub his own finger over the sweetly soft skin of Tyler's cheeks.

And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now

Haley stood in the doorway of her son's room as she watched him with his father. She too took a deep breath, remembering all too clearly how close she came to loosing her family. How close she was to being without Nathan.

Haley pushed open the apartment door, as the light shone down the hallway for the first time in weeks. Tightly in one arm, Haley cradled her sleeping son and guided her still injured husband to sit in the living room.

"Hales" Nathan spoke as he placed his crutches to one side and dropped down onto the couch, "I can manage"

Haley looked up at Nathan, as Tyler began to writhe in her embrace. "You're just home from the hospital Nathan. Just let me help you" she whispered, as she closed her eyes tightly. "I need to help you"

Nathan closed his own eyes as he heard the pain in Haley's voice. "Put the baby down" he whispered.

Haley followed his instruction, laying their tiny son to rest in his play crib which occupied the living room, before walking over to Nathan.

"Sit down" he spoke.

Again Haley followed Nathan's orders and sat on the couch next to him.

"No" Nathan complained, motioning to his lap. "Sit here" he whispered.

Haley's cheeks blushed as she shook her head. "Baby you're hurt" Haley looked to his bandaged knee. "I don't want to hurt you"

Nathan smiled. "Haley, you could never hurt me"

Haley looked at Nathan and shook her head, attempting to rid her mind of the flashbacks of him as he lay in his coma, that were occupying her thoughts.

"Haley" Nathan whispered, leaning in to her, attempting to kiss her.

Haley leapt to her feet. "I'd better get the baby to bed" she spoke quickly.

"Hales, he's fine there" Nathan replied, concerned by his girls behavior.

"You should get to bed too" Haley spoke as she lifted Tyler and began to walk toward his room. She didn't turn round. Had she, she would have seen Nathan's head in his hands, upset and frustrated by her behavior.

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight

Haley continued to watch on as Nathan tried to coax Tyler to sleep. It had been a long two weeks, since Nathan had woken. There had been so much joy but so much pain, as the reality of his injuries had set in, as the reality of life had set in.

Haley had woken early, the morning of Nathan's first full day home from the hospital. Detangling herself from Nathan's embrace, she left her bed and walked to check on Tyler. Smiling to herself, as she saw the rise and fall of his chest, she continued to the kitchen.

"Ah reality" she sighed as she began to flick through the pile of mail and newspapers.

'NBA star in car crash horror' read a headline. Haley dropped the paper to the floor. "I'm not ready for this" she spoke to herself as she gathered the rest of the papers and threw them into the waste.

Pouring a mug of coffee Haley stepped back against the counter, as a couple of fresh tears began to fall. In the hospital careers hadn't mattered. The real world hadn't touched at all. But now, now was different. Nathan Scott was a household name and the press weren't going to let this lie.

"Hey" a voice choked behind her. Haley turned to see Nathan, on his crutches, slowly working his way toward her.

"Hey" she smiled. "How did you sleep?" Haley pulled a chair out for Nathan to sit on.

"Amazingly" he replied. "You don't realize how awful a hospital bed is, until you get back to your own." Nathan laughed, before taking a banana from the bowl. Ridding it of its skin, he hobbled to place it in the bin, noticing the papers that lay on top of it. Pulling one out, he sat down.

"Oh Nate, don't" Haley began, attempting to take it from his hands.

"Scott career in jeopardy" Nathan spoke as he began to read the headline article. "NBA star Nathan Scott may never grace the courts again" he continued, as his voice choked. "Following his serious and near-fatal car crash the twenty-two year old may have no choice but to retire, as his injuries prove too severe" Nathan stopped dead.

"Nate they're just writing for public demand. They don't know the truth" Haley started, sensing his pain.

"But they could be right. Couldn't they? I mean, I might never play again."

Haley didn't know what to say. There were no words to reassure him, no answers to his question.

"I…I…" Haley began, before she was interrupted by her son's wails.

"I'll go" Nathan spoke as he pulled himself to his feet, staggering down the hallway to Tyler.

"But Nate" Haley called after him. "We need to talk about this."

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

Tyler was still wriggling in his father's arms.

"I don't sing Ty. If that's what you're after" Nathan laughed. "That's your mum." Haley smiled in the doorway, Nathan oblivious to her presence. "I'll tell you a story if you like" Nathan began. "Shall I?" he asked of his son, receiving a smile in return. "Ok then little one, here we go."

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything seems like the movies
Yeah you bleed just to know your alive

"Once upon a time, there was a boy. A little older than you, but pretty similar in looks, and he loved basketball. It was everything to him, absolutely everything. First thing he thought about in the morning was scoring the winning point at the school games. And last thing at night? He thought of scoring the winning point in the NBA. Nothing mattered to him. Not his family, not his friends. Until one day…" Tyler's eyes began to droop, as he fought the spell of sleep that had began to consume him.

"Until one day someone waded into his life. He didn't want it at first, it was change and unwelcome. But then, like… well… magic" Nathan laughed at his own mushy, sentimental words. "Then he started to think of her first thing in the morning and last thing at night and basketball sort of fell away" Tyler's breathing changed as he fell into a deep sleep, but Nathan continued. "One day the boy got hurt and lay in hospital. Everything was dark, no light, just memories and the faint whisper of his friends begging him to come back. And the boy was scared, really scared, that he'd never see her again."

Nathan choked as his eyes began to fill with tears, as Haley made her presence known.

"But you got to come back" Haley began, her own voice full of tears.


And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

Nathan got to his feet and placed Tyler in his crib. "Hales" he spoke, his face flushed with embarrassment. "You weren't supposed to hear that"

"I liked it" she whispered.

"Hales I think we need to talk. I mean, we've not exactly been communicating all that well since I got home. You won't come near me. I… I won't"

"Talk about basketball" Haley interrupted.

Nathan nodded reluctantly. "I know" he eventually spoke. "It's just I'm scared. Basketball is the only thing I've ever been good at. I might never get it back"

Haley moaned in agreement. "I understand" she spoke.

"Haley why won't you let me touch you? Kiss you? Be with you?"

Haley stood looking at Nathan in silence.

"Haley?" he encouraged her to answer.

"You're it for me Nathan. When you were lying in the hospital, I felt like a part of me was dead. I couldn't breathe properly, I couldn't even look at Tyler" Haley stopped, disgusted at herself and the truth of what she said.

"Hey" Nathan cooed. "Come here" Nathan wrapped his arm around Haley's waist and dragged her to Tyler's crib. "He knows you love him"

As the young couple looked at their tiny boy, Haley began to cry as she began to deal with the pain she had encountered over the past weeks.

Nathan slowly moved his hand from her waist to her hair, softly stroking her hair. Turning her face to his, he moved forward to kiss her.

Haley turned away.

"Hales" Nathan's voice was slightly raised. "You need to tell me what's wrong"

"I'm scared" Haley spat, as though the words had been burning her throat to get out. "I'm scared I ever lose you, scared I love you more than you love me, scared you resent me if you can't play basketball, scared that this perfect scene – you, Tyler, aren't here in the morning when I go to bed at night." Haley finished her confession, shaken and hysterical with tears.

Nathan looked at Haley with such love, desire and affection. Turning her so she was directly in front of him, he placed his hands on hers and looked directly in her eyes.

"Haley James I love you. More than you could ever understand. You are more to me than basketball will ever be. Won't leave you. Never. I fought to come back for you, and I'll never let you go. Be my wife."

Haley, who was absorbing every word, stumbled at the last three. "What?" she asked.

Nathan knelt on his good knee before her.

"What are you doing?" she screamed "You'll hurt yourself!"

"Haley, will you marry me?" Nathan asked, opening a small box to reveal a platinum band and large single solitaire diamond.

Haley couldn't speak, but nodded. Eventually she choked, "Oh god yes Nathan. Yes."

Nathan's face developed into the Scott smirk that had charmed Haley the very day she met him.

"Nathan" Haley began, still completely consumed with emotion. "Show me how much you love me"

Nathan laughed. "I thought I just did?"

Haley shook her head. "Show me another way"

Nathan pulled her towards him as the young couple kissed with such passion, such love.

"Come on then" he whispered as he lead his bride to be to their room, only pausing to glance at their son.

I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

Nathan woke with a start as the sound of his cell phone ringing resonated through the bedroom. Looking to his left, he saw Haley lying asleep beside him, a smile creeping at the corners of her mouth.

"Hey" he spoke quietly as he answered the phone and listened to the words of the caller.

"No." he spoke shortly after. "No she doesn't know. And I intend on keeping it that way"

Nathan glanced down to Haley again, as his stomach began to tie itself with guilt.


I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am